The air was electric and full of energy. It was New Year's Eve and Clarissa Flores was unbelievably anxious for the day to get started properly. It was just a week ago when Christmas arrived. Her many wonderful presents made her extremely happy. But one present made her feel more joyful and wonderful from head to toe than she ever thought possible. A simple letter, found in her home a day or so after Christmas. Clarissa rushed back to her bedroom to read it again. Its words had an effect on her.
"Dearest Clarissa,
I hope when you read this that you enjoyed Christmas with me, and got all of the gifts you wanted 'Santa' to bring you. If it's not too much, I hope you won't mind another gift. I pulled some strings and 'Santa' is helping me rent a townhouse at the beach for New Year's Eve this weekend. I want us to spend that time together and start the new year off right... together. That is if you want to be with me this weekend. Merry Christmas.
Love,
Dallas
Each word Clarissa read made everything flutter, knowing how much Dallas cared for her. She placed the letter on a nearby desk and blitzed for the door. Her weekend bag was packed and a good friend agreed to keep an eye on her apartment and work vehicle while away. Her personal car in motion, she weaved through traffic to reach Dallas' home.
Clarissa arrived just in time to see him outside and tossing a travel bag into the back of hit truck. She smiled and parked her car as quickly as possible. Opening the door, Clarissa jumped out and rushed toward her lover. She leapt into his arms and was spun in a small circle. Stopping just in time to keep them from being dizzy. Their lips met for the first time in a few days but it felt like weeks to them. Breaking off the kiss, Dallas was the first to speak.
"You have great timing."
"Anything worth doing, I do it right." Clarissa responded.
"Almost right," he smiled "You did park right behind me and I'm not backing over your car so we can leave."
Clarissa laughed and gave his face a light slap for teasing her. Within minutes her bag was in his truck, her car moved, and they were off to the beach. Clarissa eagerly took his hand in hers and held it for a good amount of the trip.
The drive was long. Nearly half a day on the road. They took their stretch breaks when needed, and found a place to eat along the way for lunch. To Clarissa's surprise; with a full stomach and the rocking of the car, she took a little nap. Dallas tried not to disturb her while gently tracing his fingernails along her arm while she slept.
Clarissa finally woke up with half an hour left of driving before they finally reached their destination. Though she was anxious about where they were going, she had regrets about the timing. The cold winter season prevented them from swimming in the water. Something she often loved to do whenever at the beach.
Coming into the city by the beach, the pair stopped at a grocery store long enough to get some supplies for the weekend. Mostly disposable plates and cutlery, as well as some food for breakfast each morning. Shopping alongside Dallas made Clarissa's mind wonder. Curious if this would be the norm if they truly went the distance with their relationship. Nearly every night he visited her home when she finished working. And every weekend she stayed with him in his new home. In the coming months, her lease would be up for renewal. But she had no intentions of staying if possible. Maybe living with Dallas was possible, but it was a conversation they would need to have another time.
After leaving the store, they arrived at the townhouse. Clarissa was stunned it was a beach side location, making the entire ocean their "backyard". She eagerly entered first and did a swift exploration of the place. Each area was surprisingly large and spacious. The living room and kitchen were downstairs, while the bedroom and bathroom were upstairs. The bedroom took up nearly the entire second floor, and the bathroom looked rather luxurious. The addition of a jacuzzi was a nice touch. The bedroom also had access to a balcony, giving them a wonderful view of the ocean whenever they wished. While exploring, Clarissa grew curious how Dallas was able to pull this off, but realized it was best not to question a good thing at the moment. This was meant to be a great weekend and she didn't want anything to spoil the fun.
Outside the condo, the sun was beginning to set. Its light turned the blue water gold as it sunk beyond the horizon. In a small amount of time it would be gone, and the night sky would take its place. The stars looked exceptionally beautiful over the open water, and Clarissa would see them so much better.
"Hey, Dal?" she called out to her lover.
"Yeah?"
"Are there going to be fireworks tonight?"
"Most likely. When I was a kid, my family would come here for summer vacations around the Fourth of July. There were plenty of fireworks on those nights."
Clarissa turned on her heel and approached Dallas. Her arms went around his waist while she looked up into his eyes. A smile grew across her face as he lowered his lips to hers. Their kiss was brief but always sweet.
"Sounds like fun, but I'm sure there will be other fireworks happening tonight." she laughed.
Dallas' palm lightly impacted against her rear, giving her a playful spank. The two opened the balcony door and stepped outside. Heat from the direct sunlight kept them warm as they watched the waves rolling in. Clarissa's heart fluttered when he pulled her close to him, pressing his chest into her back and wrapping his arms around her body.
"I'm glad you decided to join me this weekend." he whispered into her ear.
"I wouldn't want to be anywhere else. But what would you have done if I couldn't come?"
"Got a refund and we'd be staying at my place." Dallas chuckled.
Clarissa smiled and gripped the arms wrapped around her body. She loved how dedicated he was to her. Truly fulfilling exactly what her exgirlfriend said many months ago. Clarissa did want someone to treat her as greatly as she treated Beth in her previous relationship. Now she was with someone far better than she could ever imagine. Her life was improving with every day.